The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-28
THIRSTING IN A CAVERN.
DAVID'S RETREAT TO THE CAVE
OF ADULLAM.

BROOKLYN, Nov 27.-This morning at
the Tabernacle, after explaining appropri-
ate passages of Scripture, the Rev. T. De
Witt Talmage, d. D., gave out the follow
ing hymn, that was sung by the congrega-
ton with great heartiness
Buried in sorrow and in sin
At hell's dark door we lay;
But we arise by grace Divine,
To see glorious day."
The subject of the sermon was "Thirst in
a Cavern" and the text: "Oh that one
would give me drink of the water of the
well of Bethlehem, which is by the gatep'
ii. Samuel xiii, Is.
War, always distressing, is especially ruin
Gus in harvest time. When the crops are
all ready for the sickle, to have them trod-
den down by cavalry horses and heavy sup
ply trains outlying the fields, is enough to
make any mans heart sick. When the last
great war broke out in Europe, and France
and Germany were coming into horrid col
lision, l rode across their golden harveSts,
and saw the tents pitched, and the trenches
dug in the very midst of the ripe fields, the
long scythe of battle sharpening to NOW
down harvests of men in great winrows Of
the dead. 1t was at this season of harvest
that the Philistines came down upon Beth
lehem. Hark to the clamor of their voices,
the neighing of their chargers, the blare of
their trumpets, and the clash of their
shieldsl
Let David and men fall back |!
The Lords host sometimes loses the
day. But David knew where to hide
He had been brought up in that country.
Boys are inquisitive, and they know all
about the region where they were born and
brought up. If YOU should go back to the
old homestead you could, with your eyes
shut, find your way to the meadow, or the
orchard, or the hill back of the house, with
which you were familiar thirty or forty
years ago. So David knew the cave of
Adullam. Perhaps in his boyhood days he
had played "hide-and-seek" with his COM
rades all about the old cave, and though
others might not have known it, David did.
Travellers say there is only one way of get
ting into that cave, and that is by
very narrow path; but David
was stout and steady y-headed and
brave staff-officers, he goes along
that path, finds his way into the cave, sits
down, looks around at the roof and the dark
passages of the mountain, feels very weary
with the forced march; and water he must
have, or die | do not know but there may
have been drops trickling down the side of
the cavern, OF that there may have been
some water in the goat-skin slung to his
girdle: but that was not what he wanted.
He wanted deep, full, cold drink, such as
a man gets only out of an old we'll with
moSs-covered bucket. David remembered
that very near that cave of Adullam there
was such a well as that, well to which he
used to go in boyhood-the well of Bethle-
hem and he almost imagines that he can
hear the liquid plash of that well, and his
parched tongue moves through his hot lips
as he says: "Oh, that one would give me
drink of the water of the well of Bethle-
hem, which is by the gate!"
1t was no sooner said than done: The
three brave staff officers bound to their feet
and start. Brave soldiers will take even
hint from their commander. But between
them and the well lay the host of the Phil
istines; and what could three men do with a
great armyl Yet, where there is a will
there is way, and with their swords slash
ing this way and that, they make their path
to the well. While the Philistines are
amazed at the seeming foolhardiness of these
three men, and cannot make up their minds
exactly what it means, the three men have
come to the well. They drop the bucket.
They bring up the water. They pour it III
the pail and then start for the cave. "Stop
themr' cry the Phiistines. "Clip them
with your swords! Stab them with your
spearsl Stop those three menw Too late!
They have got around the hill. The hot
rocks are splashed with the overfowing
water from the vessel as it is carried up the
cliffs. The three men go along the dangerous
path, and with cheeks flushed with the ex-
citement, and all out of breath in their
haste, they fling their swords red with the
skirmish, to the side of the cave, and cry
out to David, "There, captain of the host, is
what you wanted, a drink of the well of
Bethlehem which is by the gate"
A text is of no use to me unless | can find
Christ in it., and unless can bring gospel
out of. these words that will arouse and
comfort and bless, shall wish had never
seen them; for your time would be wasted,
and against my soul the dark record would
be made that this day l stood before a great
audience of SHINING, suffering and dying
men and told them of no rescue. By the
cross of the Son of God, by the throne of
the eternal Judgment, that shall not bel
May the Lord Jesus help me to tell you the
truth today
You know the carrier pigeons have some
times letters tied under the wing, and they
fy hundreds of milestone hundred miles in
an hour-caYying a message. So | have
thought would like to have it now. Oh,
Heavenly Dove! bring under thy wing to-
day to my soul, and TO the souls of this peo-
pie, some message Of light, and love, and
peacel
1t Is not an UNUSUAL lnlIlB 10 see people
gather around well in summer time The
husbandman puts down his cradle at the
we'll curb. The builder puts down his
trowel. The traveller puts down his pack.
Then one draws the water for all the rest,
himself taking the very last The cup is
passed around, and the fires of thirst are put
out; the traveller starts on his journey, and
the workman takes up his burden.
NV friends, we come to-day around the
gospel we'll. We put down our pack of
burdens and our implements of toll. One
man must draw the water for those who
have gathered around the well. | will try
and draw the water to-day; and if, after |
have poured out from this living fountain
for your soul, just taste of it myself, you
will not begrudge me "drink from the
water of the well of Bethlehem, which is
by the gate"
This gospel well, like the well spoken Of
in the text, is a well of Bethlehem. David
had known hundreds of wells of water but
he wanted to drink from that particular
one, and he thought nothing could slake his
thirst like that And unless your soul and
mine can get access to the fountain open
for sin and uncleanness, we must die. That
fountain is the well of Bethlehem. IL was
dug in the night It was dug by the light
of lantsrn-the star that hung down over
the manger. IL was dug not at the
gate of Caesars palaces, not in the
park of Jerusalem bargain
maker 1t was dug in barn. The cam
els lifted their weary heads to listen as the
work went on The shepherds, unable to